How solicitors can help

If the Council has arranged, funded or contributed to the funding of your care, you can complain directly to Shropshire Council. Shropshire Council will provide you with the information you need to progress your complaint and will work with the care provider to investigate the issues you have raised.

Tel: 0345 678 9000 Email: customer.feedback@shropshire.gov.uk Web: www.shropshire.gov.uk/feedback/adult-

social-care-complaints

If the care is privately arranged and Shropshire Council has not played a role in arranging your care, you should complain directly to the care provider as a first course of action. If this does not solve your problem, you can seek independent support from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO). The LGSCO will determine whether or not they are able to take your case to investigation stage. Tel: 0300 061 0614 Web: www.lgo.org.uk Post: PO Box 4771, Coventry CV4 0EH

Concerns, comments and compliments

Your feedback is very important – it helps service providers know how well they are doing and whether their services meet your needs. You may have informal feedback in the form of compliments, comments or concerns to share with care providers. Please remember that compliments and positive feedback can be just as helpful as negative feedback.

Depending on the type of feedback you have, you may want to speak to a member of staff or to the care provider manager in the first instance. If you raise informal concerns, they may be able to take early action to help.

A solicitor can give you impartial advice about wills, making gifts, estate planning and powers of attorney. Some can also offer guidance on immediate and long-term care plans, ensuring (if applicable) the NHS has made the correct contribution to your fees.

Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) allow you to appoint someone you trust to make decisions about your personal welfare, including healthcare and consent to medical treatment, and/or your property and financial affairs. An LPA is only valid once registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. It allows for a person of your choice to make decisions on your behalf at a time when you may be unable to.

The Court of Protection can issue Orders directing the management of a person’s property and financial affairs if they are incapable of managing their own affairs should they not have an LPA. The Court procedure is presently very slow and the fees are quite expensive, so preparing an LPA is always advisable, providing you have somebody sufficiently trustworthy to appoint as your attorney. An ‘advance directive’ allows you to communicate your wishes in respect of future medical treatment but it is not legally binding. You may instead wish to make a living will, properly known as an ‘advance decision’ setting out treatment that you do not want to receive in specified circumstances, which would legally have to be followed, even if you die as a result.

Any proposed Gift out of your estate needs careful consideration of the benefits, risks and implications, particularly on any future liability for care costs or tax liability.

Long-term care: whether you remain in your own home or move into sheltered or residential care, you may qualify for financial assistance in the form of social care and NHS-funded care and welfare benefits.

If you don’t have your own solicitor, ask family or friends for their recommendations. Contact several firms, explain your situation and ask for an estimate of cost and an idea of timescales involved. Many firms will make home visits if necessary and will adapt their communications to meet your needs. It’s important to find a solicitor